Step 1. Define the Problem
The first step of the Cause Mapping approach is to define the problem. First we ask four basic questions: What is the problem? When did it happen? Where did it happen? And how did it impact the goals? In this case, the safety goal was impacted due to 43 injuries and the potential for fatalities. The environmental goal was impacted due to the contamination of the groundwater table. The disruption of fuel deliveries to the local airport impacted the customer service goal. Additionally, the significant damage to the storage facility, neighboring properties and resulting downtime impacted the production, property and labor goals.